Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

H. C. BURDETTE.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 459,248. Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

UNITED STATES HARRY C. BURDETTE, OF MARTINSBURG, IVEST VIRGINIA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

PATENT OFF CE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 459,248, dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed April 11, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY C. BURDETTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill- Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a new and improved thill coupling in which are united several practical advantages; and the invention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved thill-coupling, showing the several parts of the same separated. Fig. 2 is a central horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. is a central vertical sectional view of the coupling. Fig. t is a perspective view from the underside of the removable lockingplate and its lugs.

Referring to the several parts by their letters of reference, Aindicates an extension of one of the thill-irons, or, rather, a piece of the thill-iron, to which the shaft-irons are welded. The rear end of the iron A is formed with the round flattened end D, having the round pivot-pins D D extending from each side of its center, as shown.

B indicates a bearing-block which is attached to the outer side of an ordinary clip. The outer half of this block is formed with a vertical slot or opening B and with the curved recesses B 13 which are open at their upper ends, as shown. The outer end of the block is thus formed with what are practically two hooks; but the integral outer sides of the block are left uncut, solid along the outer sides of the two hooks thus formed, thus greatly strengthening the hooks and giving them double the strength which they would possess if they were cut entirely through the outer sides after the manner of ordinary open hooks.

To place the thill-iron in the coupling blocks B or to remove them from the same, it is necessary to raise the iron A, when the pins D are slipped down through the open Serial No. 388,553. (No model.)

upper ends of the recesses B and the irons A are then turned down into their normal position.

To lock the thills in the bearing-blocks, I employ the device consisting of the removable locking plate 0, having the straight downwardly-extending lug E, which extends down in the rear end of the vertical slot B, back of the rounded end D of the thill-iron, and has a notch 6 formed in its rear face near its lower end, with which the end of a spring catch F engages. This catch is secured in the block B at the rear end of the slot B, as shown, and the projection at its lower end will engage in the notch eand secure the looking device within the bearing-block, while the lower extremityF of the springF extends down through the bearing-block B, so that it can be reached by the finger and pressed back to release the spring-catch from the notch e when it is desired to remove the locking-plate. From the forward part of the locking-plate O extend downwardly the lugs G G, the lower ends of which are curved to adapt them to fit down within the rear part of the curved recesses B back of the pivot-pins D. The projections G of the locking-plates, it will thus be seen, will effectually prevent any rattling of the thill-irons in the couplingblock.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and advantages of my invention will be clearly understood without requiring further description. It will be seen that my new and improved thill-coupling is comparatively simple and very strong and durable in its construction, that the lockingplate with its lugs can be inserted or removed in a moment, and that the device will securely hold the thills in place and effectually prevent all rattling. The thills can only be removed from the coupling-block by raising them into an upright position, and therefore there is no strain on the coupling-plate and its lugs when the thills are in their normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

In a thill-coupling, the combination of the coupling-block 13, formed with a vertical slot .iii l 1o portion extending into the notch e, and the finger-piece F, extending below the lower face of the coupling-block B, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY C. BURDETTE.

Witnesses:

G. B. HEDGES, NICHOLAS W. J ONES. 

